Music Appreciation

Music appreciation is a hybrid kind of course that includes a survey of music development in varying cultures and eras throughout history and through music technology.The course focuses on critical listening to a wide variety of music as well as demonstrated ability to make personal expressions through music and connect to it both physically as well as intellectually. In essence the course seeks to guide students in being able to create music as well as participate with music as listeners.

What have we been up to?

Students have learned about the Renaissance period and the cultural events surrounding it. Ask a GPA Music App student to explain to you the Palace of Versailles' role in the Renaissance.

The Baroque era was categorized by the writing of Handel's Messiah and the music of Johann Sebastien Bach. Ask a GPA student what an oratorio is to find out more!

Latin American Music: On October 23rd GPA music students went to the Hartford Symphony Orchestra for a concert on Latin American music. Students learned about popular and classical music of Puerto Rico, Brazil, Venezuela and Mexico. We have followed the concert up with a study of Salsa music. The picture here is of the cuatro, a folk instrument of Puerto Rico. Ask a GPA student how Willy Colon and Hector Lavoe brought this instrument to the US salsa scene to learn more.